Steps

Sample Speeches

Method1

Writing Your Own Speech

1

Prepare your speech well in advance. Few people can prepare elegant remarks when they've scribbled a speech onto a dinner napkin. Bring an index card or a piece of paper containing an outline of what you'd like to say. Alternatively, you can prepare an outline on your tablet or smartphone.

2

Include a sentence to introduce yourself. While most present at the dinner may know you, not everyone will. Also, explain your relationship to the bride and groom in your introduction.

3

Express appreciation. Let the audience know that you are pleased to have been asked to make a speech.

4

Be sensitive to your audience. For example, do not provide inappropriate details from the bachelor party while the bride is present. Make sure that your remarks are appropriate for all wedding guests to hear.

5

Create a catchy opening. Provide a funny story about how the bride and groom met or a quote from the bride and groom's favorite song.

6

Choose final words that will leave an impression. A memorable quote about the beauty of marriage is always a good choice for an ending to your speech. You can use a variety of resources both online and in the bookstore to find an appropriate quote.

Method2

Delivering Your Speech

1

Practice your speech before delivering it publicly. Track your time to make sure that your speech isn't too long-winded.

2

Choose the right moment to present your speech. One appropriate choice would be to deliver your speech between dinner courses.

3

Speak slowly and clearly. Also, speak loudly so that everyone in the audience can understand the words that you've worked so hard to prepare.

4

Allow yourself to become emotional if you feel overwhelmed during the course of your speech. A speech that sounds flat and robotic isn't enjoyable and doesn't sound heartfelt.

To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be happy one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. – Woody Allen

Pick a memorable quote to use during your speech. Below are some examples of quotations you might consider including:

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love. – Sophocles